New '28 Days Later' Movies in the Works

More than two decades after 28 Days Later first captivated horror fans, a new trilogy of movies is in the works. The first of the new sequels — titled 28 Years Later — will be helmed by 28 Days Later director Danny Boyle, with original scribe Alex Garland writing all three of the new films, according to The Hollywood Reporter. At this time there is no word on when fans can expect the movie to debut.

It was November 2002 when 28 Days Later first premiered in the United Kingdom and Ireland, before landing in the U.S. in June 2003. The film stars Cillian Murphy "as a bicycle courier who awakens from a coma to discover the accidental release of a highly contagious, aggression-inducing virus has caused the breakdown of society." Additional cast members include Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson. The film was a big success with audiences, earning approximately $84.6 million at the box office, on a budget of $8 million.

The film garnered a standalone sequel, 28 Weeks Later, released in 2007. While Boyle and Garland were not involved with the main creative for the movie — it was directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo from a screenplay he wrote with Rowan Joffé, Enrique López Lavigne, and Jesus Olmo — the pair did serve as producers. Starring Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne, and Jeremy Renner, 28 Weeks Later "is set after the events of the first film, depicting the efforts of NATO military forces to salvage a safe zone in London, the consequence of two young siblings breaking protocol to find a photograph of their mother, and the resulting reintroduction of the Rage Virus to the safe zone." Additional cast members include Harold Perrineau, Catherine McCormack, Mackintosh Muggleton, Imogen Poots, and Idris Elba.

Interestingly, back in 2022, Boyle was speaking with NME in honor of the 20th anniversary of 28 Days Later, and he revealed that Garland had recently penned a script for a new sequel. "I'd be very tempted [to direct it]. It feels like a very good time actually," he said. "It's funny, I hadn't thought about it until you just said it, and I remembered 'Bang, this script!' which is again set in England, very much about England. Anyway, we'll see... who knows?"

Boyle continued, "It might come back into focus because one of the things that's happening in the business at the moment is it has to be a big reason for you to go to the cinema, because there are less and less reasons. It's hard for companies distributing films and for cinema chains to show films, they're struggling to get people into the cinema unless it's something like Top Gun: Maverick or a Marvel. But a third part would get people in, if it was half-decent."